US11772902B2 - Device and method for the treatment and/or handling of piece goods moved in at least one row - Google Patents

Device and method for the treatment and/or handling of piece goods moved in at least one row Download PDF

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Publication number
US11772902B2
US11772902B2 US17/633,623 US202017633623A US11772902B2 US 11772902 B2 US11772902 B2 US 11772902B2 US 202017633623 A US202017633623 A US 202017633623A US 11772902 B2 US11772902 B2 US 11772902B2
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piece goods
manipulator
piece
station
sensor device
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US20220315350A1 (en
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Manuel Kollmuss
Thomas Hensel
Thomas Lehner
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Krones AG
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Krones AG
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Assigned to KRONES AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT reassignment KRONES AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: HENSEL, THOMAS, DR., KOLLMUSS, MANUEL, LEHNER, THOMAS
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/02—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
    • B65G47/04—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
    • B65G47/06—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines
    • B65G47/08—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines spacing or grouping the articles during feeding
    • B65G47/084—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines spacing or grouping the articles during feeding grouping articles in a predetermined 2-dimensional pattern
    • B65G47/086—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines spacing or grouping the articles during feeding grouping articles in a predetermined 2-dimensional pattern cubiform articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
    • B65B35/30—Arranging and feeding articles in groups
    • B65B35/50—Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G21/00—Supporting or protective framework or housings for endless load-carriers or traction elements of belt or chain conveyors
    • B65G21/20—Means incorporated in, or attached to, framework or housings for guiding load-carriers, traction elements or loads supported on moving surfaces
    • B65G21/2045—Mechanical means for guiding or retaining the load on the load-carrying surface
    • B65G21/2063—Mechanical means for guiding or retaining the load on the load-carrying surface comprising elements not movable in the direction of load-transport
    • B65G21/2072—Laterial guidance means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G43/00—Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
    • B65G43/08—Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/02—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
    • B65G47/04—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
    • B65G47/06—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines
    • B65G47/08—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines spacing or grouping the articles during feeding
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/22—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
    • B65G47/90—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
    • B65G47/905—Control arrangements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G61/00—Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
    • G01B5/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of mechanical techniques
    • G01B5/02—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of mechanical techniques for measuring length, width or thickness
    • G01B5/04—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of mechanical techniques for measuring length, width or thickness specially adapted for measuring length or width of objects while moving
    • G01B5/046—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of mechanical techniques for measuring length, width or thickness specially adapted for measuring length or width of objects while moving for measuring width
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/02—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems using reflection of acoustic waves
    • G01S15/06—Systems determining the position data of a target
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G2203/00—Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
    • B65G2203/02—Control or detection
    • B65G2203/0208—Control or detection relating to the transported articles
    • B65G2203/0233—Position of the article
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G2203/00—Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
    • B65G2203/04—Detection means
    • B65G2203/042—Sensors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G2203/00—Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
    • B65G2203/04—Detection means
    • B65G2203/042—Sensors
    • B65G2203/044—Optical
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
    • G01B21/00—Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
    • G01B21/02—Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant for measuring length, width, or thickness
    • G01B21/06—Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant for measuring length, width, or thickness specially adapted for measuring length or width of objects while moving

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method as well as a device for the treatment and/or the handling of piece goods moved in at least one row according to the characteristics of the independent claims.
  • the assembled layer patterns which are also referred to as assembled cycles, have to meet certain requirements.
  • it is customarily necessary to perform preparatory procedures which consist, for instance, in first conveying piece goods regularly or stepwise on a so-called dosing belt, in then grouping or gathering them on an intermediate transport belt, and in delivering them together and/or in groups from there to a layer-forming belt or a layer-forming table.
  • Such layer forming tables which serve to bring together piece goods such as, for example, cartons, shrink packs, trays or plastic crates
  • piece goods can be brought together by placing them in a two-dimensional formation (block formation, e.g. pallet layer).
  • block formation e.g. pallet layer
  • a roller track can be supplied in linear conveying direction or in parallel conveying directions from one lane or from several lanes.
  • the piece goods can be mechanically arranged in the required position each in front of or on the roller conveyor by stopping point.
  • the piece goods positioned in this way can then be pushed off the roller conveyor orthogonally to the direction of transport.
  • the supplying, the positioning and the pushing off of the piece goods can be considered as one cycle. At least one cycle is required to form a layer, although several cycles are normally required.
  • the partially discontinuous conveying with its relatively abrupt changes in speed and/or changes in direction or also other influences not mentioned here can lead to individual piece goods getting at least slightly out of their cycle or out of their normally assumed position and consequently possibly being inaccurately positioned during layer formation.
  • Such a mechanically operating measuring device for detecting changes in the accumulation position during an accumulation process of bottles or other containers transported on a multi-lane conveyor belt is known, for example, from DE 36 07 858 A1.
  • the measuring means is located at a lateral railing section and is formed by a tactile element which protrudes from the guiding side of the railing section into the transport path with the transported bottles.
  • Another mechanically operating measuring device with a pivotable and pendulum-mounted tactile element for sensing a product flow is known from WO 2017/141066 A1.
  • the position of the pivoting tactile element, which position is influenced by the product flow, is detected by a sensor.
  • DE 10 2013 202 872 A1 discloses a method for aligning and/or grouping piece goods, which piece goods are conveyed in a row one behind the other to a grouping station, and in which grouping station the piece goods are contacted and displaced and/or rotated on a lateral surface by a manipulator, which manipulator is movable and/or rotatable in the horizontal direction.
  • the manipulator comprises a rod, the movement course of which rod is controlled during the displacement and/or rotation process of a respective piece good based on the signals of an optical sensor or a camera with downstream image processing.
  • a method for seizing and selectively eliminating individual piece goods that are transported one behind the other on a flat conveyor element is disclosed by WO 2016/023135 A1. Positioning information of the piece goods is continuously detected optically and piece goods to be eliminated are laterally pushed out of the transport path of the remaining piece goods by a pusher.
  • DE 10 2017 002 752 A1 further discloses a device and a method for handling piece goods to form a palletizable layer, which piece goods are moved in a row one behind the other.
  • the piece goods which are coming from a packaging machine, are transported at a distance from each other and are fed via a horizontal conveying device to a grouping module, which grouping module has a seizing range for the piece goods with a manipulator, which manipulator is moving within the seizing range.
  • the manipulator can seize the piece goods individually or in groups and, by displacement and/or rotation, bring them into a defined target position and/or target alignment, which target position and/or target alignment corresponds to a defined position within a palletizable piece good layer.
  • output signals of an optical sensor can be evaluated, which optical sensor detects spatial coordinates and/or positions of the piece goods.
  • a handling device for piece goods which piece goods are moved in at least one row
  • which handling device is capable of individually adjusting different control parameters of a manipulation device by sensory detection of piece good parameters upstream or downstream of the manipulation device, so that a reliable seizing, handling and, if necessary, grouping of the piece goods by the manipulation device can be ensured, even in the event of deviations between a desired state of the piece goods and their actual state.
  • the present invention proposes a method for the treatment and/or the handling of piece goods moved one after another in at least one row, in particular in connection with and for the purpose of forming piece good layers of defined size, which piece good layers can subsequently be stacked several times on top of each other and above each other.
  • the piece goods of a row which piece goods are moved one behind the other, can in each instance have approximately identical or different distances from one another, optionally also variable distances from one another.
  • piece goods are fed from an upstream packaging station and/or equipping station, which packaging station and/or equipping station is not specified in more detail herein, by at least one horizontal conveying device to a grouping station and/or layer forming station, where the piece goods are displaced, rotated or otherwise manipulated individually or several, in order to obtain their respective position and alignment within the respective intended layer pattern.
  • the grouping station and/or layer forming station comprises a seizing range, which seizing range on the one hand defines the space into which the piece goods are delivered.
  • the seizing range defines a movement range of at least one manipulator and/or limits this movement range of the at least one manipulator in spatial terms, by which movement range is primarily meant a range or a sensible or constructively predetermined radius of movement of the manipulator.
  • this may in particular be a movably suspended gripper arm of a gantry robot, of a multi-axis movable robot, of a parallel kinematic robot or the like, which gripper arm is controllable within the defined movement range, wherein the gripper arm can in particular have gripping jaws, which gripping jaws can be advanced towards one another, so that the gripper can grip, seize, displace, lift, rotate and bring individual piece goods, pairs or groups of piece goods into desired target positions and/or target alignments in order to release them there by opening the advanceable gripping jaws and subsequently move on towards the piece goods to be subsequently manipulated.
  • a conveyor support moving in extension of the transport direction of the horizontal conveying device can optionally be assigned to the grouping station and/or layer forming station, so that the manipulator removes the piece goods from the support surface that is moving continuously in the transport direction and rotates and/or displaces them in the desired manner.
  • a support plane moving in the transport direction can be formed, for example, by a mat chain, by a link chain or by an alike endlessly circulating conveyor plane.
  • variations are also possible, in which variations no additional conveying device is assigned to the seizing range of the grouping station and/or layer forming station, so that the piece goods are pushed by the horizontal conveying device under the effect of dynamic pressure onto a relatively smooth surface of the grouping station and/or layer forming station and there are initially brought into the desired layer pattern exclusively by the manipulator moving in rapid succession. Since, however, a further transport of the thus formed piece good layer from the grouping station and/or layer forming station to downstream processing stations is necessary, in such a variation, for example, a thrust bar or the like can be used, which pushes each completely assembled piece good layer to a downstream processing station.
  • the at least one manipulator can thus grippingly seize at least one piece good from the at least one row and move it into a defined relative target position and/or target alignment, in particular with respect to a piece good layer to be formed.
  • a piece good layer generally has a square or rectangular layout with straight lateral edges and preferably no or only slight gaps between the piece goods assembled in this manner within the layer pattern.
  • individual smaller gaps can occur depending on the contours of the piece goods to be manipulated, for example, if these have rectangular layouts and the layer pattern is created by an overall irregular appearing sequence of differently rotated piece goods.
  • the present invention proposes another solution approach, which assigns to the manipulator, which is normally only responsible for layer formation in the narrower sense, the additional task of including in this layer formation process also those piece goods, which piece goods would normally have to be corrected or manipulated beforehand with respect to their orientation, positioning and/or with respect to other deviations from a desired state or which piece goods, in certain cases, would even have to be eliminated due to an excessive deviation from a desired state or a desired position.
  • At least one sensor device is assigned to the horizontal conveying device, which sensor device is designed for optical and/or electromagnetic wave-based and/or mechanical and/or other acquisition of positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data with respect to the piece goods transported on the horizontal conveying device, which horizontal conveying device is arranged upstream of the grouping station and/or layer forming station in the transport direction of the piece goods.
  • the sensor device generates electronic output signals from the obtained positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data of the piece goods transported on the horizontal conveying device. These output signals are processed and used to control the manipulator in accordance with the detected piece good positions and/or dimensions and/or orientations, in particular with regard to a respective piece good layer to be formed by the manipulator.
  • the sensor device used in the method according to the invention can, for example, be designed in such a way that it can detect the piece goods within the region of the horizontal conveying device by image processing.
  • an optical detection device and/or sensor device can thus be used, which senses the piece goods in particular by image processing.
  • the sensor device may comprise at least one camera and/or at least one line sensor.
  • a variation of the method is also conceivable, in which method the sensor device detects the piece goods within the region of the horizontal conveying device by transmitting and processing ultrasonic signals.
  • a detection device and/or sensor device operating with ultrasound can thus be used, which detects the piece goods by ultrasound signal processing.
  • the method can be designed in such a way that the sensor device comprises at least one reflective scanner projecting into the transport path of the piece goods on the horizontal conveying device.
  • the piece goods in the transport path are scanned by mechanical means, which can advantageously be affected by a reflective scanner or the like tactile devise, which transport path is arranged upstream of the seizing range comprising the manipulator movable therein.
  • the sensor data are obtained in a region upstream of the grouping station and/or layer forming station and in a region of the horizontal conveying device, which region has a sufficient minimum distance from the grouping station and/or layer forming station.
  • reliable control commands for the manipulator can be generated, which manipulator is movable within the seizing range, wherein these control commands for the manipulator are adapted to the actual positions and/or actual alignments and/or actual states of the piece goods thus optically, mechanically and/or ultrasonically scanned and detected, which actual positions and/or actual alignments and/or actual states are possibly deviating from a desired state.
  • the manipulator moves individual or a plurality of piece goods within its seizing range within the grouping station and/or layer forming station on the basis of the output signals obtained and processed by the sensor device, which output signals are subsequently made available to a control device of the manipulator, and/or in that the manipulator is moved in a corresponding manner together with the seized piece goods, so that, by successive rotational movements and/or displacement movements, largely closed layer patterns are formed from the piece goods, which layer patterns can be transferred in a subsequent process step, for example, onto a pallet and/or can be stacked there in a plurality of layers arranged above each other.
  • the method may further provide, that the manipulator merely corrects and/or changes the positions of individual piece goods or a plurality of the piece goods conveyed to the seizing range on the horizontal conveying device; the manipulator acting on the basis of the output signals obtained and processed by the sensor device and made available to a control device of the manipulator in such a way, that a desired position of the respective piece good in the targeted layer pattern is achieved.
  • a grasping and displacement and/or rotation by the manipulator can be dispensed with, namely if the piece good concerned or a plurality of piece goods concerned are assigned a target position within the layer pattern, which target position is located in extension of the transport path of the horizontal conveying device, so that neither a rotation nor a lateral displacement out of the rectilinear transport path is necessary for this piece good or for these piece goods.
  • a skewed position of a piece good, a lateral displacement of a piece good or a fallen over piece good is just as much an obstacle to the formation of a perfect piece good layer as in the manipulation variations described above, so that here too a corresponding corrective intervention by the manipulator may be necessary, which intervention would not be necessary in the case of piece goods being in a perfect position.
  • the detection of the piece good positions or alignments and/or the respective rotational position and/or the respective state of the piece goods enables a respective control of the manipulator for such a corrective action and corrective intervention before the piece good being released again and left to its further transport path.
  • the method according to the invention can also provide, that based on the output signals obtained and processed by the sensor device and made available to a control device of the manipulator, the manipulator seizes individual or several of the piece goods within the seizing range, and moves them out of the seizing range and/or discharges them from further processing, which piece goods are being conveyed on the horizontal conveying device into the seizing range. Such removed or eliminated piece goods are fed appropriately to another transport branch or another processing branch and are no longer considered for the formation of the piece good layers.
  • Useful sensory detections in connection with the conveying of piece goods according to the method according to the invention are, for example, a longitudinal movement or a transverse movement of the piece goods. If these are, for example, designed to be cuboidal with a rectangular or otherwise shaped basis and different edge lengths, then any undesirable transverse position of 90 angular degrees will possibly remain unnoticed in the conveying sequence of a large number of conveyed piece goods; but such a transverse position is capable of considerably disturbing the layer formation process, because this transversely positioned piece good will very probably no longer fit into the position intended for it within the layer pattern.
  • this single transversely standing piece good can no longer be gripped without interference together with other piece goods by the gripping jaws of a correspondingly equipped manipulator, which gripping jaws can be advanced towards one another, but—depending on the deviation of its length or width from the adjacent piece goods rotated by 90°—either slips through when the gripping jaws of the manipulator are closed, because it is narrower than the adjacent piece goods, or allows the adjacent piece goods to slip through due to their deviating dimensions.
  • the manipulator can be controlled in such a way that it also seizes at least this individual twisted piece good individually and individually brings it into its target position and/or target alignment within the desired layer pattern, without further piece goods being seized and manipulated at the same time.
  • Such a deviating manipulator control is possibly associated with a loss of time if, for example, in the normal sequence two or three piece goods would be seized and displaced and/or rotated simultaneously; but this can be taken into account, for example, with a corresponding overall control, in which sufficient reserves are present for a briefly accelerated manipulator movement in order to compensate for such disturbances.
  • a combination of both measures can also be useful.
  • a further useful sensory detection in connection with the conveyance of piece goods according to the method according to the invention is, for example, an angular positioning of the piece goods, i.e. their torsion about their respective vertical axis by an angle of rotation between zero and somewhat less than 90 angular degrees.
  • each undesired rotation of the piece goods about their respective vertical axis will possibly go unnoticed in the conveying sequence of a large number of conveyed piece goods; but such a rotation is capable of considerably disturbing the layer formation process, because this piece good, which is not exactly aligned with the other piece goods, may no longer fit into the position provided for it within the layer pattern, but may possibly collide there with other piece goods.
  • the respective adjacent piece goods can easily be pushed apart, because the lateral edges of the piece good, which piece good is rotated when the gripping jaws of the manipulator are closed, follow a segment of a circle and hereby require more space than a piece good which is exactly aligned with the adjacent piece goods.
  • the manipulator can be controlled in such a way, that it also seizes at least this individual twisted piece good individually and individually brings it into its target position and/or target alignment within the desired layer pattern without simultaneously seizing and manipulating further piece goods.
  • Such a deviating manipulator control is possibly associated with a loss of time if, for example, in the normal sequence two or three piece goods would be seized and displaced and/or rotated simultaneously; but this can be taken into account, for example, with a correspondingly adapted overall control, in which sufficient reserves are available for a briefly accelerated manipulator movement to compensate for such disturbances.
  • an at least brief delay of the horizontal conveying device is possible, which horizontal conveying device is conveying the piece goods to the grouping station and/or layer forming station, in order to give the manipulator sufficient time to back rotate the individual twisted piece good or to further rotate it by less than 90° and to insert them individually into the correct position within the layer pattern.
  • a combination of the two measures mentioned can also be useful.
  • a further sensory detection in connection with the conveyance of piece goods according to the method according to the invention can, for example, detect a height and/or width and/or size and/or generally a volume of the piece goods, i.e. a possibly existing deviation of an actual dimension of individual or several piece goods from a desired dimension.
  • each undesired deviation in height and/or width from a desired dimension will possibly go unnoticed in the conveying process of a large number of conveyed piece goods; but such a deviation is potentially capable of considerably disturbing the layer formation process, because the individual piece goods, which are not exactly matching and/or aligning with the other piece goods, may no longer fit into the position provided for it within the layer pattern, but may possibly collide there with other piece goods.
  • the respective adjacent piece goods can easily slip downwards and are not gripped with sufficient reliability, for example, because their lateral edges remain further away from the gripping jaws than the lateral edges of the wider piece good when the gripping jaws of the manipulator are advanced.
  • the reverse is also true for a narrower piece good, which can easily slip downwards out of the reciprocally advanced gripping jaws when gripped together with adjacent wider piece goods.
  • the manipulator can be controlled in such a way that it also individually seizes at least this individual piece good, which piece good is differently dimensioned, and moves it individually into its target position and/or target alignment in the desired layer pattern without simultaneously seizing and manipulating further piece goods.
  • Such a deviating manipulator control is possibly associated with a loss of time if, for example, in the normal sequence two or three piece goods would be seized and displaced and/or rotated simultaneously, but this can be taken into account, for example, with a correspondingly adapted overall control, in which sufficient reserves are available for a briefly accelerated manipulator movement to compensate for such disturbances.
  • an at least brief delay of the horizontal conveying device which horizontal conveying device is conveying the piece goods to the grouping station and/or layer forming station, may be useful in order to give the manipulator sufficient time to separately seize the individual piece good and to individually insert it into the correct position within the layer pattern or to eliminate it from the layer formation process.
  • a combination of the two mentioned measures can also be useful.
  • a further embodiment variation of a handling device and/or layer forming device according to the invention will be explained below, wherein the sensor device is formed by a mechanical scanning.
  • the sensor device used in the embodiment variation described herein is essentially suitable for detecting the piece good width of the transported piece goods, whereby during the transport of the piece goods or when the piece goods are stopped, lateral guiding rails located on both sides of the transport path of the piece goods on the horizontal conveying device are advanced towards each other until the lateral surfaces of the piece goods are lightly touched by the guiding rails; this can be done in particular by detecting torques of actuators for the adjustable lateral guiding rails.
  • the further grouping process and/or layer formation process in which the manipulator receives explicit information about at least a width of the piece goods to be handled, may be carried out in the manner described above. Normally, however, the further grouping process and/or layer formation process will preferably be carried out in each instance with piece goods of uniform size as well as equal alignment, since the mechanical scanning system proposed herein is not capable, after the initialization process, of detecting twisted, damaged or deviatingly dimensioned piece goods and of supplying the manipulator with corresponding control commands in order to take into account and compensate for such deviations in the layer formation process.
  • a special case of a piece good deviating in its dimensions from other piece goods may be a fallen over piece good, which deviating piece good is conveyed on the horizontal conveying device in a longitudinally, transversely or twisted lying position between preceding piece goods standing upright and subsequent piece goods standing upright and which deviating piece good possibly causes a more difficult or even impossible task for the manipulator during the layer formation process.
  • the sensory detection of fallen over piece goods in the method according to the invention may be considered as a special case of a detection of a height and/or width and/or size and/or in general a volume of the piece goods, because also a fallen over piece good shows a deviation of an actual dimension from a desired dimension.
  • the manipulator can be controlled in such a way that it seizes at least this individual piece good individually, puts it in an upright position and then moves it individually into its target position and/or target alignment within the desired layer pattern, without other piece goods being seized and manipulated at the same time.
  • Such a deviating manipulator control is possibly associated with a loss of time if, for example, in the normal sequence two or three piece goods would be seized and displaced and/or rotated simultaneously, but this can be taken into account, for example, with a correspondingly adapted overall control, in which sufficient reserves are available for a briefly accelerated manipulator movement to compensate for such disturbances.
  • an at least brief delay of the horizontal conveying device which horizontal conveying device is conveying the piece goods to the grouping station and/or layer forming station, may be useful in order to give the manipulator sufficient time to separately seize the individual piece good and to individually insert it into the correct position within the layer pattern or to eliminate it from the layer formation process.
  • a combination of the two mentioned measures can also be useful.
  • a further mechanical parameter of the piece goods which mechanical parameter can be detected by the sensor device, is the dimensional stability and/or external strength of the piece goods, which can be detected, in particular, by a sensor device which comprises a mechanical pushbutton or the like, the tactile element of which can measure, for example, the resilience of the outer piece goods packaging when a defined compressive force is applied to a lateral surface of the piece good, which piece good is passing the sensor device.
  • a flexible packaging shell may be an indication of an improper filling, of a damage of the packaging or also of an incompletely filled packaging. Since such a packaging can be pressed in much more easily than a properly filled liquid container or beverage container, a suitably configured sensor device with a mechanical tactile element, which tactile element is interacting mechanically with an outer wall of the packaging, can be used to identify a defective packaging or an improperly filled container and preferably to eliminate it from the further conveying process and/or layer formation process.
  • a useful application of the sensor device may be to detect the respective type of piece goods which is conveyed on the horizontal conveying device to the grouping station and/or layer forming station, since the piece goods are often provided with external markings such as barcodes, QR codes or the like, which may serve as carriers of numerous information, including information about different variants of piece good or types of beverage containers conveyed as piece goods.
  • a detection of the respective type of piece good infeeding on the horizontal conveying device can be used for the respective control of the manipulator, so that the manipulator optionally moves the different types into the respectively intended target positions within the layer pattern or in that types of piece goods not intended for a respective layer are sorted out or fed to an adjacent grouping station and/or layer forming station.
  • the present invention further proposes a handling device and/or layer forming device comprising at least one horizontal conveying device for conveying piece goods in rows from a packaging station and/or equipping station to a grouping station and/or layer forming station having a seizing range, which piece goods are distanced uniformly or differently from one another.
  • the seizing range defines a movement range of at least one manipulator and/or limits the same in spatial terms.
  • the at least one manipulator moving within the movement range is equipped and designed in such a way that it can seize at least one piece good by grasping the piece good from the at least one infeeding row and moving it into a defined relative target position and/or target alignment in a working cycle, in particular with regard to a piece good layer to be formed from a defined number of piece goods.
  • the seizing range of the grouping station and/or layer forming station referred to here not only defines the space into which the piece goods are being brought, but at the same time also forms a movement range for the at least one manipulator and/or limits this movement range of the at least one manipulator in spatial terms.
  • a range or a sensible or constructively predetermined radius of movement of the manipulator is intended, which radius of movement cannot be exceeded or left by the manipulator due to its structural conditions, because, for example, its movable arm cannot reach beyond this space.
  • manipulator which is consistently used herein, may refer in particular to a movably suspended gripper arm of a gantry robot, a multi-axis movable robot, a parallel kinematic robot or the like, which gripper arm is controllable within the defined movement range, wherein the gripper arm can in particular have gripping jaws, which gripping jaws can be advanced towards one another in order to grip, seize, displace, lift, rotate and bring individual piece goods, pairs or groups of piece goods into desired target positions and/or target alignments in order to release them there by opening the advanceable gripping jaws, and which gripping arm then moves to the piece goods to be subsequently manipulated.
  • the horizontal conveying device arranged upstream of the grouping station and/or layer forming station in the transport direction of the piece goods has at least one sensor device for optical and/or electromagnetic wave-based and/or mechanical and/or other detection of positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data with respect to the piece goods being transported on the horizontal conveying device.
  • the sensor device generates electronic output signals from the positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data obtained for the piece goods being transported on the horizontal conveying device and supplies this electronic output signals to a control device, where these electronic output signals are processed.
  • the control device is designed and equipped in such a way that it controls the movements of the manipulator within the movement range for the purpose of layer formation from the piece goods supplied to the grouping station and/or layer forming station by the horizontal conveying device.
  • the arrangement of the sensor device within the region of the horizontal conveying device, on which horizontal conveying device the piece goods are transported in rows to the seizing range of the grouping station and/or layer forming station enables the timely detection of piece goods which could possibly disturb or prevent the properly operating layer formation process, be it because of a tilted position of individual piece goods, be it because of fallen over piece goods or piece goods deviating in their outer contour or because of other deviations from a standard state or desired state.
  • the time required by the piece goods on their conveying path between the sensor device and the manipulator acting within the seizing range is sufficient to adapt the manipulator control to the detected deviation from the standard as required and either to seize the piece good separately in accordance with its skewed position, torsion, lying condition ( fallen over piece good), etc., or to eliminate the piece good, which piece good can no longer be integrated into the layer formation process, from the entire process and thus subject this piece good to a separate handling.
  • sensor devices such as those that work with electromagnetic radiation and a detection of reflected radiation components.
  • the sensor system used can be based on image processing in the broadest sense, whereby the term image processing is to be understood broadly and can include not only electromagnetic radiation in the range which is visible to the human eye, but optionally also non-visible radiation components such as infrared radiation and/or ultraviolet radiation.
  • electromagnetic radiation in the ultrasonic range can also be regarded as radiation suitable for image processing, since a sensor system equipped for this purpose can derive spatial data and positional data from the detection of ultrasonic waves reflected by the piece goods in the same way as from radiation in the visible wavelength range.
  • the sensor device used within the device according to the invention may be formed by an optical detection device and/or by a sensor device that uses image processing to sense the piece goods conveyed on the horizontal conveying device and passing the sensor device.
  • this optical sensor device may comprise at least one camera and/or at least one line sensor.
  • the sensor device may optionally also be formed by a detection device and/or sensor device operating with ultrasound, which sensor device detects the piece goods conveyed on the horizontal conveying device and passing the sensor device by ultrasound signal processing.
  • the sensor device can also scan the piece goods by mechanical means.
  • the sensor device can comprise at least one reflective scanner projecting into the transport path of the piece goods on the horizontal conveying device, so that the reflective scanner can detect and sense the piece goods conveyed on the horizontal conveying device and passing the sensor device.
  • the sensor device used in this method variation is essentially intended to detect a width of the piece goods, wherein during the transport of the piece goods or during an at least brief standstill of the piece goods lateral guiding rails located on both sides of the transport path of the piece goods on the horizontal conveying device are advanced towards one another, until the lateral surfaces of the piece goods are reached and lightly touched by the guiding rails, which can be done by detecting torques of actuators for the adjustable lateral guiding rails.
  • the guiding rails are preferably advanced towards each other when the horizontal conveying device is at a standstill and then are moved apart again by at least a small distance in order to allow the piece goods to pass unhindered between the lateral guiding rails during the subsequent conveying process and grouping process.
  • the further grouping process and/or layer formation process can be carried out in the manner described above, but it is preferably carried out with piece goods of uniform size as well as the same alignment in each instance, since the mechanical scanning used here is not able to detect twisted, damaged or deviatingly dimensioned piece goods after the initialization process and to provide the manipulator with corresponding control commands in order to take into account and to compensate for such deviations during the layer formation process.
  • the sensor device is arranged upstream of a transition region between the horizontal conveying device and the grouping station and/or layer forming station and sensibly at a sufficient distance, in order to keep sufficient time available for signal processing at normal transport speed of the piece goods.
  • the manipulator moves or displaces individual or a plurality of piece goods within the seizing range on the basis of the output signals obtained and processed by the sensor device and made available to a control device of the manipulator, so that positional deviations of individual piece goods can be detected in time and taken into account for adapted manipulator movements.
  • the manipulator can correct and/or change the positions of one or more of the piece goods that are being conveyed to the seizing range on the horizontal conveying device within the seizing range based on the output signals obtained and processed by the sensor device and provided to a control device of the manipulator.
  • the device may also be equipped in such a way that the control device for controlling the movement of the manipulator is coupled to a controllable discharging device.
  • the control device for controlling the movement of the manipulator is coupled to a controllable discharging device.
  • FIG. 1 shows in two schematic top views ( FIG. 1 A and FIG. 1 B ) a first embodiment of a handling device and/or layer forming device according to the invention for handling piece goods and for forming stackable piece good layers.
  • FIG. 2 shows in two schematic top views ( FIG. 2 A and FIG. 2 B ) a second embodiment of the handling device and/or layer forming device according to the invention for handling piece goods and for forming stackable piece good layers.
  • FIG. 3 shows in a schematic top view a third embodiment of the handling device and/or layer forming device according to the invention for handling piece goods and for forming stackable piece good layers.
  • FIG. 4 shows in two schematic top views ( FIG. 4 A and FIG. 4 B ) a fourth embodiment of the handling device and/or layer forming device according to the invention for handling piece goods and for forming stackable piece good layers.
  • FIG. 5 shows, in a further schematic plan view, a fifth embodiment of the handling device and/or layer forming device according to the invention for handling piece goods and for forming stackable piece good layers.
  • FIGS. 1 A and 1 B show a first embodiment of a handling device and/or layer forming device 10 according to the invention, which has a grouping station and/or layer forming station 12 indicated herein by a large rectangle, in which piece goods 14 , which are conveyed in a transport direction 18 to the grouping station and/or layer forming station 12 by two horizontal conveying devices 16 being arranged in parallel, are brought into a layer arrangement by a manipulator 20 , which manipulator 20 is merely indicated schematically here, so that the layers of piece goods formed in this way can subsequently be conveyed in the transport direction 18 away from the station 12 and stacked several times one on top of the other (not shown here).
  • the piece goods 14 are each conveyed in a regular sequence with gaps between successive piece goods 14 on the two horizontal conveying devices 16 , which horizontal conveying devices 16 run parallel and also convey in a parallel direction 18 , and which horizontal conveying devices 16 may moreover be spaced a short distance apart.
  • the piece goods 14 which piece goods 14 are moved by the horizontal conveying devices 16 , may each be spaced apart from each other by approximately the same or different distances within each row.
  • the piece goods 14 can optionally also have variable distances from one another in the course of conveying.
  • the piece goods 14 which may be, for example, bundles of the most varied types—may, for example, have previously been packaged and/or printed on in a packaging station and/or equipping station before being fed by the two parallel horizontal conveying devices 16 to the grouping station and/or layer forming station 12 , which grouping station and/or layer forming station 12 comprises a seizing range 22 .
  • the seizing range 22 which is characterized here by an interrupted line within the station 12 , defines a movement range of the manipulator 20 and at the same time characterizes its spatially limited range, by which spatially limited range is meant that the manipulator 20 can reach and seize only those piece goods 14 which are located within the movement range of the seizing range 22 .
  • the manipulator 20 is controlled in such a way that, in a working cycle, it seizes at least one piece good 14 in a gripping manner from one of the two rows infeeding in parallel and moves it into a defined relative target position and/or target alignment, in particular with respect to the respective piece good layer to be formed.
  • FIG. 1 A as well as FIG. 1 B both reveal that an own sensor device 24 is assigned to each of the two horizontal conveying devices 16 arranged upstream of the grouping station and/or layer forming station 12 in the transport direction 18 of the piece goods 14 , the sensor devices 24 being provided for obtaining positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data with respect to the piece goods 14 transported on the horizontal conveying devices 16 .
  • the sensor devices 24 generate electronic output signals 26 from the respectively obtained positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data for the piece goods 14 being transported on the horizontal conveying devices 16 .
  • These output signals 26 are processed and used for controlling the manipulator 20 in a manner adapted to the detected piece good positions and/or piece good dimensions and/or piece good alignments, namely with respect to a respective piece good layer to be formed by the manipulator 20 (not shown here).
  • These sensor devices 24 which are respectively assigned to the two horizontal conveying devices 16 , can in principle operate according to the most diverse measuring principles as shown according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1 A and FIG. 1 B , whereby in particular such measuring principles can be usefully employed, which measuring principles are based on the transmission and reception of optical waves or generally of electromagnetic waves.
  • a mechanical or otherwise suitable detection of positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data of the piece goods 14 transported on the respective horizontal conveying device 16 is also conceivable, e.g. by the use of tactile elements or the like.
  • the sensor devices 24 In order to be able to obtain useful control commands from the sensory detection of the piece good alignments and/or piece good positions for the manipulator 20 positioned downstream of the horizontal conveying devices 16 , the sensor devices 24 generate respective electronic output signals 26 from the positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data obtained for the piece goods 14 transported on the horizontal conveying devices 16 , which output signals 26 are processed in a generally referred control device 28 .
  • the control device 28 can thus generate adapted control commands 30 for the manipulator 20 , so that the latter can move and/or rotate and/or displace the respective piece goods 14 concerned within the seizing range 22 in a manner adapted to the desired layer pattern.
  • the sensor devices 24 associated with each of the two horizontal conveying devices 16 can at least detect a rotation of the piece goods 14 by 90°. If, for example, cuboidal piece goods 14 with a rectangular basis are conveyed in the transport direction 18 , wherein the respective longitudinal sides 32 of the piece goods 14 are facing one another in such a way that their respective narrow sides 34 are aligned with one another and are arranged parallel to the transport direction 18 and to the longitudinal extension directions of the respective horizontal conveying devices 16 , then, in the case of a piece good 14 a rotated by 90° as can be seen on the lower horizontal conveying device 16 , the narrow sides 34 face the longitudinal sides of the preceding or following piece goods 14 , while the longitudinal sides 32 of this twisted piece good 14 a are arranged parallel to the transport direction 18 and to the longitudinal extension directions of the respective horizontal conveying devices 16 .
  • the gripping and handling robot forming the manipulator 20 receives adapted movement curves and new gripping parameters, furthermore it may be useful to reduce the speed of movement of the robot forming the manipulator 20 at least during the separate handling of the piece good 14 a rotated by 90°.
  • An additional option which can be seen in FIG. 1 B , may be to adapt the sensor device 24 to the piece goods 14 to be detected, in particular to their dimensions, so that it may be useful, for example, to be able to adjust the sensor device or parts of the sensor device transversely to the transport direction 18 , so that the corresponding sensor elements used as sensor devices 24 can be positioned at a small distance from the piece goods 14 to be detected.
  • Such an adjustment may be particularly useful for sensor elements that operate mechanically, such as tactile elements, but it may also have advantages for sensor elements that operate optically or with ultrasound.
  • FIG. 1 A illustrates an embodiment of the respective sensor device 24 with fixedly positioned sensor elements.
  • the sensor devices 24 shown in the embodiments according to FIG. 1 A and FIG. 1 B can be formed, for example, by light barrier elements, by relatively simply constructed line sensors or the like. As already mentioned, however, the sensor devices 24 can also comprise mechanical tactile elements or the like, which mechanical tactile elements come into touching contact with the piece goods 14 , 14 a transported past them.
  • FIG. 2 A and FIG. 2 B each illustrate a second embodiment variation of the handling device and/or layer forming device 10 according to the invention, in which the sensor device 24 is formed by at least one optical detection device 36 , in particular by an electronically operating camera 38 with downstream image evaluation for the output signals 26 , which output signals 26 are generated by the optical detection device 36 or by the camera 38 .
  • This is equally prepared and equipped for detecting twisted piece goods 14 , in particular piece goods 14 a rotated by 90°, and for generating corresponding output signals 26 from the captured images in order to be able to generate modified control commands 30 for the manipulator 20 with the aid of the downstream control device 28 .
  • the handling robot and/or grouping robot and/or layer forming robot forming the manipulator 20 receives adapted movement curves and new gripping parameters; wherein it may furthermore be useful to reduce the speed of movement of the robot forming the manipulator 20 at least during the separate handling of the piece good 14 a rotated by 90°.
  • a single optical detection device 36 or a single camera 38 may be associated with two parallel horizontal conveying devices 16 , which are both entering the seizing range 22 of the manipulator 20 side by side (cf. FIG. 2 A , FIG. 2 B ), the image processing of which single optical detection device 36 is capable of detecting the piece goods 14 , 14 a on both horizontal conveying devices 16 .
  • FIG. 2 A illustrates the already explained situation of a piece good 14 a , which piece good 14 a is rotated by 90° relative to other piece goods 14 on one of the two horizontal conveying devices 16
  • FIG. 2 B shows a conveying situation in which at least one of the piece goods 14 transported on one of the horizontal conveying devices 16 shows a rotation about its vertical axis of less than 90°.
  • the piece good which is referred to here as twisted piece good 14 b , is rotated in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 by a rotation angle ⁇ of about 25° about its vertical axis in the direction of rotation to the right (in plan view of FIG.
  • FIG. 3 An embodiment variation of a handling device and/or layer forming device 10 according to the invention is shown in the schematic top view of FIG. 3 , in which the sensor device 24 is formed by a mechanical scanning 40 , which a mechanical scanning 40 is operating according to a completely different principle.
  • the sensor device 24 used in this case is essentially suitable for detecting the piece good width 42 , whereby during the transport of the piece goods 14 , lateral guiding rails 44 on both sides of the transport path of the piece goods 14 on the horizontal conveying device 16 are advanced towards one another until they lightly touch the lateral surfaces of the piece goods 14 —in this case their narrow sides 34 —which can be done by a detection of torques of actuators 46 of the adjustable lateral guiding rails 44 .
  • these lateral guiding rails 44 are preferably advanced against each other when the horizontal conveying device 16 is stationary and then moved apart again at least by a small distance in order to allow the piece goods 14 to pass unhindered between the lateral guiding rails 44 during the subsequent conveying process and grouping process.
  • the further grouping process and/or layer formation process may proceed in the manner described above, but will preferably be performed with piece goods 14 of uniform size as well as the same alignment in each instance, since after the initialization process the mechanical scanning 40 used herein is not capable of detecting twisted, damaged or deviantly sized piece goods 14 and of providing appropriate control commands to the manipulator 20 to account for and to compensate for such deviations within the layer formation process.
  • FIGS. 4 A and 4 B each illustrate a further embodiment variation of the handling device and/or layer forming device 10 according to the invention, wherein in each instance a discharge area 48 is associated here with the grouping station and/or layer forming station 12 , which discharge area 48 is for piece goods 14 that cannot be integrated into a layer formation process.
  • the discharge area 48 is located at the edge of the seizing range 22 of the manipulator 20 , so that the manipulator 20 can transfer individual piece goods 14 , which piece goods 14 are not to be included in a respective layer formation process, into the discharge area 48 , from which discharge area 48 they can be fed, for example, in an outfeeding conveying direction 50 perpendicular to the transport direction 18 to a separation or to a further handling, which separation or further handling need not be explained in more detail here.
  • the sensor device 24 which sensor device 24 is formed, for example, by an optical detection device 36 such as a camera 38 , is prepared to detect deviating dimensions of individual or multiple piece goods 14 , which individual or multiple piece goods 14 are transported on the horizontal conveying devices 16 .
  • the sensor device 24 may be capable of detecting different types of piece goods and transmitting corresponding control commands 30 to the manipulator 20 in order to separate out piece good types and/or piece good sizes which are not to be integrated in the layer formation and to feed them to the discharge area 48 ; or, in order to form mixed piece good layers with different types of piece goods 14 , to specifically select these and, for example, to move them to defined positions within the piece good layer.
  • the different dimensions of piece goods 14 , 14 c , 14 d seen in the schematic top view of FIG. 4 A are detected by the sensor device 24 , so that the manipulator 20 receives suitable control commands 30 in each instance for seizing and manipulating these differently dimensioned piece goods 14 , 14 c , 14 d in a custom fitted manner.
  • the sensor device 24 according to in the embodiment of the device 10 shown in FIG. 4 B , which sensor device 24 is formed, for example, by an optical detection device 36 such as a camera 38 , is prepared to detect erroneous outer contours and/or incorrect or undesirable dimensions of individual or several piece goods 14 , 14 e , which piece goods 14 , 14 e are being transported on the horizontal conveying devices 16 . Since such damaged or erroneous piece goods 14 e are not to be considered for a layer formation, they are preferably sorted out by an appropriate manipulator movement and fed to the discharge area 48 .
  • the single erroneous or damaged piece good 14 e which damaged piece good 14 e can be seen in the schematic top view of FIG. 4 B and which follows two faultless piece goods 14 on the upper horizontal conveying device 16 , is detected by the sensor device 24 in order that suitable control commands 30 can be transmitted to the manipulator 20 at the correct time for custom fittingly seizing and transferring this damaged piece 14 e to the discharge area 48 .
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a transport situation which has not yet been dealt with and which can be handled differently depending on the design of the manipulator 20 . If individual piece goods 14 f are transported lying on the horizontal conveying device 16 between preceding and following piece goods 14 , while the preceding and following piece goods 14 are transported standing up, then it may, in particular, be a case of fallen over piece goods 14 f , which fallen over piece goods 14 f can either be set upright by the manipulator 20 within the seizing range 22 and made available to the layer formation process or which fallen over piece goods 14 f can be separated out and fed to the discharge area 48 .
  • a setting upright of such fallen over piece goods 14 f is only useful if it is ensured that, apart from the deviating position of the concerned piece good 14 f , it is an otherwise faultless piece good 14 , 14 f , which piece good can be integrated into the layer formation process without any problems.
  • This can be done, if necessary, by a two-stage detection process with a suitably equipped sensor device 24 , which sensor device 24 not only detects the position of the piece goods 14 , 14 f , but also detects other parameters such as those mentioned previously, for example, the dimensions, the types and/or packaging damages etc.
  • the manipulator 20 is not at all capable of setting upright fallen over piece goods 14 f within its seizing range 22 and to subsequently move them into a defined position and/or alignment within a piece good layer to be formed, the only remaining option is to eliminate such fallen over piece goods 14 f and thus feed them directly to the discharge area 48 .

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